Defending the Indefensible:
A Study to Measure the Success of
Israel’s Hasbara During Operation Cast
Lead
Sam
Matthews
Background & History
Public Relations & Public
Diplomacy





Robert Entman: ‘Cascade Model’
Herman & Chomsky: ‘Propaganda
Model’
Nick Davies: ‘Rules of production’
Walter Lippman: Public Opinion
Shaw & McCombs: ‘Agenda-setting’
Rationale & Significance
‘The Knowledge Deficit’
Norman Finkelstein
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Glasgow University Media
Group
Operation Cast Lead
“Taking into account the ability to plan, the means to execute plans
with the most developed technology available, and statements by the
Israeli military that almost no errors occurred, the Mission finds that
the incidents and patterns of events considered in the report are the
result of deliberate planning and policy decisions.”
Report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission to Gaza
Media and Hasbara during
the Operation Cast Lead





National Information Directorate
Lebanon 2006
Media blackout
End of the ceasefire
Hasbara 2.0
Methodology
Hasbara
sources
MFA
IDFSU
BICOM

Legal/factual framework
UN Mission
International Law
HR Organisations
Newspapers
A. Reasons and objectives
of Operation Cast Lead
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
B. Details of the ceasefire
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
C. Problematic discourse or
terminology
35
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
D. Government policy and
IDF conduct
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
E. Alleged links to Iran
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
F. Representation &
framing of Hamas
35
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
G. Omission & distortion of
law, fact or detail
35
30
25
20
Articles
Manifestations
15
10
5
0
LT
II
IT
DT
Conclusions
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hasbara
Stories
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Questions